Idaho farm families need solutions for the limited availability of affordable
shipping and increasing production costs, Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo, a member
of the Senate Agriculture Committee, reiterated this week in a Senate
Agriculture Committee hearing. The hearing addressed long-term needs
in regards to energy issues and transportation for agriculture.

“Idaho is a land-locked state with substantial distance to markets,
giving Idaho producers a limited supply of shipping options,”
Crapo said. “With the high cost of fuel and agriculture inputs
and demand for rail cars, Idaho producers and producers nationwide face
substantial challenges. I am optimistic that we can find workable solutions
to help relieve these strains and keep the U.S. competitive on the global
agriculture market.”

The hearing featured testimony from the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
the Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of Energy, and several other
witnesses representing the agriculture community.

The witnesses provided insight on the effects of the hurricanes
on transportation and energy costs, efforts to mitigate the effects,
the outlook for agriculture, and possible solutions.